CELTIC 4 ST JOHNSTONE 0
THERE was never a chance Celtic would step onto a banana skin against St Johnstone as they brought down the curtain on a wonderful 2024.
Brendan Rodgers led his team to all three domestic trophies in the calendar year and they went into their final hurdle in the knowledge they had not lost in Paradise throughout a remarkable year.
They eased towards the Ibrox derby on Thursday and the first match of the New Year on the back of another convincing triumph with a double from Kyogo Furuhashi and singles from Nicolas Kuhn and Daizen Maeda.
And the Parkhead side will got into the game with a FOURTEEN point advantage after Rangers drew 2-2 with Motherwell at Fir Park.
The length of the Premiership table separated the teams at the kick-off with the champions 33 points ahead of their opponents.
And the chasm was evident as the hosts took control of the game right from the off. The best chance of the early stages fell to Kyogo Furuhashi in the 11th minute after he was set up with a superb long diagonal pass from Arne Engels.
Unfortunately for the Japanese ace, the troublesome blustery wind didn’t help his control as he raced clear and the ball broke to Saints keeper Josh Rae who was swiftly off his line to grab and clear.
WATCHING BRIEF…Brendan Rodgers studies play from the touchline.
Three minutes later, Engels, moving in from the left, whipped a low drive into the sidenet as the Hoops searched for the breakthrough goal.
Rae was brought into action again in the 20th minute when Yang Hyun-jun and Alex Valle combined on the left to fashion a shooting chance for the hard-working Engels, but the Belgian’s wicked first-time drive was punched clear by the netminder.
Moments later, Yang set up Engels, but his mishit shot was blocked by the shotstopper.
Something had to give – and it did on the half-hour mark when Reo Hatate again gave everyone an example of his extraordinary vision and precision as he split the visitors’ back lot.
His perfect through pass released the rampaging Nicolas Kuhn who took an excellent first touch and cut inside onto his lethal left foot before flashing the opener wide of the exposed Rae.
Only three minutes later, the keeper denied the German a quickfire second when he threw himself full-length to his right to paw away a cunning left-foot curler which was zooming towards its intended destination.
As the hosts continued the one-way onslaught, it was Rae to the rescue once more when he was right in line to fist away a vicious 20-yard right-foot drive from Valle.
MARATHON MAN…the hard-working Arne Engels was non-stop against the Saints.
The Perth side weathered the storm as half-time approached and they looked mightily relieved as referee Matthew MacDermid blew for the interval.
Celtic started the second period on the front foot and Yang raced on the left before fizzing over a cross, but it was just too fast for Kuhn to control at the far post.
In the 51st minute, a deflection from a Perth defender left Rae helpless, but the effort was ruled out for an earlier offside call against Kyogo. VAR images proved it was the correct decision.
The pressure was relentless as the Hoops looked to double their advantage and a delightful little dink from Hatate set up Kuhn on the right, but there were no takes for his whipped delivery.
Kyogo eventually got No.2 in the 58th minute after a short corner-kick on the left, their tenth of the game.
Paulo Bernardo rolled the ball inside to Hatate and raced into the box to take the return. The Portuguese midfielder got a touch to divert the ball towards the net, but was thwarted by an athletic leap to his left by Rae who managed to get a frantic hand to the effort.
However, the ball spun in the direction of the lurking Kyogo who bulleted a header over the line.
PARADISE…Kyogo Furuhashi celebrates another deadly double.
And five minutes later it was the prolific hitman on target for the third goal after some neat leading-up play from Cameron Carter-Vickers and Bernardo on the right to set up Engels for the opportunity to swing in a cross.
The delivery was immaculate as was the finish from Kyogo smack in front of goal.
That was the signal for Brendan Rodgers to make three substitutions as he threw on skipper Callum McGregor, striker Adam Idah and winger Daizen Maeda in like-for-like changes as Engels, Kyogo and Kuhn were replaced.
Maeda marked his introduction with the fourth goal in the 73rd minute after Liam Scales found Bernardo 25 yards out and the former Benfica prospect picked out the Japanese speedster with a quick pass into space.
The winger took it with the outside of his right foot to direct it wide of the outrushing Rae.
A minute later, there was another swift round of changes as Anthony Ralston and Luke McCowan came on for Johnston and Hatate.
McCowan had a low drive pushed away by the overworked Rae and then the former Dundee captain hit one over the bar as the visitors struggled to get some breathing space.
Now all eyes are on Ibrox for the first encounter of 2025 on Thursday.
TEAM: Schmeichel; Johnston (sub: Ralston 74), Carter-Vickers, Scales, Valle; Bernardo, Engels (sub: McGregor 68), Hatate (sub: McCowan 74); Kuhn (sub: Maeda 68), Kyogo (sub: Idah 68) and Yang.
